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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Trans Cebu or BRT Cebu, the Future of Transport iin Cebu

Everyday in the streets, one cannot help but get annoyed at undisciplined drivers loading and disembarking passengers in pedestrian crossings or just about anywhere.

Some public utility vehicles or jeepneys take too long in taking in passengers. Some would wait for the seats to be filled. When one is in a hurry, one could lose patience experiencing this.

There are also too many vehicles in the streets of Cebu City already. I learned that BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) might help provide a solution.

I got the chance to listen to an orientation regarding BRT by consultant Colin Brader in relation to my city's transport system and the buses in Singapore come to mind. Like the buses there, the mode of payment will be a card pre-loaded with a certain amount. The card will be tapped to a sensor that will charge the amount of the fare which by 2015 is estimated to be around nine pesos.

The bus loads and unloads passengers in a station located in the middle of the street. The station may be reached through what I call "staggered" pedestrian lanes. Let me show pictures.

See the pedestrian walkways?

This design is believed to be optimal so as not to obstruct the path of other vehicles and with this adjustments would have to be made with the lanes and which lanes certain vehicles will be in.

The buses will stop for about 30 minutes for loading and unloading then takes off. No more waiting for the bus to be filled to capacity and travel time will be reduced.

The routes will be mainly within Cebu City.

BRT is also being implemented in Jakarta, Bogota and Guangzhou, China.

With an estimated vehicle fleet of 180, some jeepney drivers may be displaced from their jobs as the jeepneys will be replaced by BRT. But BRT is said to provide employment opportunities to some of them as jobs aside from driving will be generated. These jobs, including driving the buses will be like the regular-paying jobs which offer benefits and regular salaries.

The BRT will be known as Trans Cebu once it is put in place and it will involve computerization as traffic and the routes will be monitored. Expect street modifications if this is to be implemented.

For example, one side of Fuente Osmena will be freed from the usual public utility vehicles as the other side will only be used. This will allow people on the "free" side to safely cross the street towards the center park across Rajah Park Hotel.